Christine Niederberger Betton
Encyclopedia
Christine Niederberger Betton, born in Bordeaux
and deceased in 2001 in Mexico City
was a French
archaeologist. She is mainly noted for her contributions to the field of pre-Columbian
American archaeology
, in particular for her work on Mesoamerica
n cultures in central Mexico.
. From 1965 to 1968, she continued a training in archaeology at the National School of History and Anthropology (ENAH) in Mexico
. Its beginnings works of archaeologists will take place with Tlapacoya
, precisely on the site of Zohapilco. The results of this excavation lead it to present her thesis in 1974 entitled: Zohapilco. Cinco milenios of ocupación humana en un sitio lacustre de la Cuenca de México. A few years later, in 1981, Christine Niederberger obtains a doctorate of State at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences
, in Paris
. The subject of her doctorate, under the direction of Jean Guilaine, is entitled Paléopaysages and pre-urban archaeology of the basin of Mexico. This thesis became a reference and will be published by the Center of Mexican Studies and Centraméricaines (CEMCA) in 1987.
She was married to Jean-Marie Niederberger.
style. In addition, she strongly contributed to change the generally accepted ideas, about olmec culture which is not limited to the Zona Metropolitana Olmeca (ZMO), in English, refer to as the Olmec heartland. At the contrary the Olmec culture was a multi-ethnic unit and pluri-linguistic culture covering a vast part of the Mesoamerica, in the period from 1200 BC to about 500 BC. The model of Christine Niederberger thus shows the unit of Middle America from 1200 BC through the olmec style identified by a particular appearance: pan-Mesoamerica.
She was a great professionalist and an extremely meticulous persons on the excavations. Christine Niederberger has always chose with many precautions the places to excavate. Of a great patience, she analyzed, gathered and recorded all the evidence. But the results of these studies which force admiration as well on the form as on the bottom. Its archaeological analyses were always supported by the results of various specialists, thus supporting her reputation of intellectual honesty.
article in Science
: Early Sedentary Economy in the Basin of Mexico City (1979) like several standard commodities in the French Encyclopædia Universalis like La civilisation olmèque ou la naissance de la Mésoamérique (1985).
contributed chapters and conference papers—
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
and deceased in 2001 in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
archaeologist. She is mainly noted for her contributions to the field of pre-Columbian
Pre-Columbian
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
American archaeology
Archaeology of the Americas
The archaeology of the Americas is the study of the archaeology of North America , Central America, South America and the Caribbean...
, in particular for her work on Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
n cultures in central Mexico.
Early life
Christine Niederberger was born in Bordeaux, France, the daughter of Roger Betton and Linka Lowczynski. She began her higher education at the l'École supérieures nationales des langues orientalesInstitut national des langues et civilisations orientales
The Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales is located in Paris, France. It was founded in 1795 after the French Revolution and is now one of the country's Grands établissements with a specialization in African, Asian, East European, Oceanian languages and civilisations...
. From 1965 to 1968, she continued a training in archaeology at the National School of History and Anthropology (ENAH) in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Its beginnings works of archaeologists will take place with Tlapacoya
Tlapacoya
Tlapacoya may refer to:*Tlapacoya, Puebla, a municipality in the state of Puebla, Mexico*Tlapacoya , an archaeological site in the Valley of Mexico...
, precisely on the site of Zohapilco. The results of this excavation lead it to present her thesis in 1974 entitled: Zohapilco. Cinco milenios of ocupación humana en un sitio lacustre de la Cuenca de México. A few years later, in 1981, Christine Niederberger obtains a doctorate of State at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences
École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales
The École des hautes études en sciences sociales is a leading French institution for research and higher education, a Grand Établissement. Its mission is research and research training in the social sciences, including the relationship these latter maintain with the natural and life sciences...
, in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The subject of her doctorate, under the direction of Jean Guilaine, is entitled Paléopaysages and pre-urban archaeology of the basin of Mexico. This thesis became a reference and will be published by the Center of Mexican Studies and Centraméricaines (CEMCA) in 1987.
She was married to Jean-Marie Niederberger.
Archaeology
Its search and its excavations, as archaeologist, were particularly innovative and founder of a new school of thought. On the one hand, she called into question a chronology proposed for the site of Zohapilco, on the level of the occupations in connection with OlmecOlmec
The Olmec were the first major Pre-Columbian civilization in Mexico. They lived in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, in the modern-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco....
style. In addition, she strongly contributed to change the generally accepted ideas, about olmec culture which is not limited to the Zona Metropolitana Olmeca (ZMO), in English, refer to as the Olmec heartland. At the contrary the Olmec culture was a multi-ethnic unit and pluri-linguistic culture covering a vast part of the Mesoamerica, in the period from 1200 BC to about 500 BC. The model of Christine Niederberger thus shows the unit of Middle America from 1200 BC through the olmec style identified by a particular appearance: pan-Mesoamerica.
She was a great professionalist and an extremely meticulous persons on the excavations. Christine Niederberger has always chose with many precautions the places to excavate. Of a great patience, she analyzed, gathered and recorded all the evidence. But the results of these studies which force admiration as well on the form as on the bottom. Its archaeological analyses were always supported by the results of various specialists, thus supporting her reputation of intellectual honesty.
Published works
She was the author of many articles and several works in particular "Zohapilco. Cinco milenios de ocupación humana en un sitio lacustre de la Cuenca de México" (1976) and "Paléo-paysages et archéologie pré-urbaine du Bassin de Mexico" (1987). She wrote an importantarticle in Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
: Early Sedentary Economy in the Basin of Mexico City (1979) like several standard commodities in the French Encyclopædia Universalis like La civilisation olmèque ou la naissance de la Mésoamérique (1985).
contributed chapters and conference papers—
See also
- OlmecOlmecThe Olmec were the first major Pre-Columbian civilization in Mexico. They lived in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico, in the modern-day states of Veracruz and Tabasco....
- MesoamericaMesoamericaMesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
- Mesoamerican chronologyMesoamerican chronologyMesoamerican chronology divides the history of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica into several periods: the Paleo-Indian , the Archaic , the Preclassic , the Classic , and the Postclassic...
- Olmec figurineOlmec figurineThis article on the Olmec figurine describes a number of archetypical figurines produced by the Formative Period inhabitants of Mesoamerica. While many of these figurines may or may not have been produced directly by the people of the Olmec heartland, they bear the hallmarks and motifs of Olmec...
- Cascajal block
External links
- Resume in English Paléopaysages et archéologie pré-urbaine du bassin de México Resume in Spanish Paléopaysages et archéologie pré-urbaine du bassin de México
- Early Sedentary Economy in the Basin of Mexico in Science, Vol 203, Jan. 12, 1979, pp 131–142 El pasado Arqueológico de Guerrero, 2002 : Book in homage to Christine Niederberger Betton Homage to Christine Niederberger Betton by Rosa María Reyna Robles
- A Conference in Pre-Columbian Iconography Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) Centro de Estudios Mexicanos y Centroamericanos (CEMCA) CEMCA